Ranking best Final Four semifinals between No. 1 seeds ahead of Arizona-Michigan showdown

Ranking best Final Four semifinals between No. 1 seeds ahead of Arizona-Michigan showdown originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Will the 2026 Final Four matchup between No. 1 Arizona and No. 1 Michigan live up to the hype Saturday?

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On paper, it should be one of the best national semifinal matchups of all time. According to KenPom rankings, the Wolverines (39.02) and Wildcats (38.72) rank No. 1 and No. 2, respectively. It increased the buildup ahead of the late semifinal at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Saturday.

Since the tournament began seeding in 1979, there have been 18 matchups between No. 1 seeds. No. 1 Houston played No. 1 Louisville in 1983 – a matchup the “Phi Slama Jama” Cougars won 94-81. Two years later, No. 1 Georgetown beat No. 1 St. John’s 77-59 in a matchup between All-Americans Patrick Ewing and Chris Mullin. Those games were decided by double digits.

Sporting News looks at the games that did meet the expectations. Here are the seven Final Four semifinal matchups between No. 1 seeds that delivered.

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Best Final Four semifinal games between No. 1 seeds

Seven of those Final Four matchups between No. 1 seeds were decided by seven points or less. They made the cut for our best games. Here is how we ranked them:

1. No. 1 Michigan 81, No. 1 Kentucky 78, OT (1993)

This matchup was so good it required overtime. Michigan – led by the Fab Five – met a loaded Kentucky team under Rick Pitino. All-American forwards Chris Webber and Jamal Mashburn put on a show. Webber scored 27 points with 13 rebounds. Mashburn had 26 points and six rebounds. Mashburn fouled out in overtime, and Webber hit the go-ahead layup with 41 seconds left before forcing a steal. Jalen Rose made two free throws, and the Wildcats missed a last-ditch 3-pointer. The Wolverines lost the national championship game 77-71 to…

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Publish date : 2026-04-03 11:00:00

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